PHOTO: Flora Aduk from Nile breweries hand over the local reporting award to Arnest Tumwesigye during the 2022 UNJA -PHOTO by ACME
For journalists in northern Uganda, it’s safe to say that 2022 has been a great year. Six of them, who are members and some who have at least benefited directly from journalism grant support from Northern Uganda Media Club (NUMEC), scooped seven awards at the National Journalism Awards last week—including the first of its kind, the ‘Inspiring Female Journalism Award’. Last year, only three journalists were nominated, and one person won.
Oftentimes, working as a journalist in the far-flung rural northern Uganda can be challenging. Infrastructures are often poor and newsrooms usually operate on shoestring budgets thus making it hard for reporters to cover quality stories due to logistical challenges.
In this year’s award, organized by the African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME) to celebrate, promote exceptional and enterprising journalism in Uganda, a total of 283 entries were received from journalists across the country for the competition, according to ACME, and were examined for nomination by a panel of 8 expert judges from academia and public communications before the awards gala.
Ben Ongom, a journalist working for NBS in Gulu, whose story, ‘Lives in the hands of quarks’, exposed the wrong diagnosis of patients by quack medical doctors in Gulu won the award for the investigative category.
“In Gulu, we did [an] undercover filming at Charity Medical Centre and Victory Medical Centre, [and I am] glad it paid off- [we] saved thousands of lives from wrong diagnosis,” Ongom posted on Facebook. “Thank you to my work colleagues, friends, and my family…who constantly miss [me] when I am away”
Earnest Tumwesigye, whose story titled, ‘From captives to fighters for survival’, won in the Local reporting category said: “I want to thank God for this milestone. Thanks [to] my family for the care you accord me, my editors at the regional bureau and in Kampala”.
As NUMEC, we would like to congratulate all the journalists from northern Uganda who reached this major milestone because of their exceptional work.
Below is a list of journalists from northern Uganda who excelled on the big stage.
1. Local Reporting
Winner: From captives to fighters for survival – by Arnest Tumwesige, New Vision
2. Arts reporting
Winner: ‘Outlawed animal parts spell death for Bwola dance’ – by Caroline Ayugi, Daily Monitor (Caroline also won the ‘Inspiring Female Journalism Award’)
3. Investigative Reporting
Winner: ‘Lives in the hands of quacks’ – by Benson Ongom, NBS Television
4. Sports reporting
Winner: ‘Lack of support: West Nile female footballers’ talent’ fading away’ – by Musa Sabir, Radio Pacis
6. Business, Economy and finance reporting
Winner: ‘Illegal entry points fuel silent gold trade along Uganda-DRC border’ – Federick Dramadri, Radio Pacis
7. Education Reporting
1st runner-up –Irene Abalo Otto and Susan Mujjawa – My silent world; produced by Nation Media Group Uganda for NTV Uganda and Daily Monitor
The Award also celebrated two inspiring female journalists. This was meant to shine a light on women doing good work in traditionally male-dominated spaces.
The first Inspiring Female Journalist Award recognizes a reporter’s consistent work covering important public affairs issues in rural Uganda for the past decade. The Award went to Ms Caroline Ayugi, again, our very own.
The full list of all winners can be accessed HERE
NUMEC was conceived to revitalise the media terrain in northern Uganda to help catalyse peace, recovery, reconciliation, and development, and promote media freedom and access to information in the region devastated by a two-decade armed conflict orchestrated by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) led by Joseph Kony.
